Collapse Unlikely to Spur Infrastructure Action

The collapse of an interstate-highway bridge in Washington state revives a debate about whether the government should boost infrastructure spending to repair and modernize the nation's vast network of roads and bridges, but it is unlikely to spur new action.

In his latest budget proposal, released in April, President Barack Obama renewed his call for a $50 billion infrastructure package, citing the need to repair 70,000 bridges deemed by regulators to be "structurally deficient." Mr. Obama also again proposed a...